The Savage Leader Podcast
Ep. 68: Using Scarcity to Drive Creativity at Sears and Kmart
In this episode, Darren Reinke interviews Ramon Marquez, the COO and CMO of the iconic retail brands Sears and Kmart. .
Ramon provides unique insights on fostering creativity through scarcity, the power of empathy and humility in leadership, and the opportunity to breathe new life into beloved brands like Sears and Kmart.
Ep. 67: Creating Purpose by Focusing on Your Customers’ Customers
In this episode, host Darren Reinke interviews Alok Chinani, the founder and CEO of BuildOps. Alok shares his fascinating journey from the military to the business world, and the valuable lessons he learned about leadership, resilience, and building a mission-driven organization. He discusses the importance of creating a strong sense of purpose, avoiding a "playbook" mentality, and setting ambitious, “Herculean" goals to align his team.
Ep. 66: Uplifting Others through the Power of a Paycheck
In this episode, host Darren Reinke interviews Bonni Pomush, the inspiring CEO of Working Wardrobes. Bonni shares transformative stories of uplifting others and her insights on building a purpose-driven organization, the power of partnerships, and ways to create positive change. This is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration and guidance on making a difference.
Ep. 65: Breaking Barriers as a Navy Pilot and Shifting into Tech
In this episode, host Darren Reinke interviews Karen Brasch, the Head of Business Strategy & Operations at AWS. Karen shares her remarkable journey from growing up as the daughter of an Air Force pilot to becoming a pioneering female Navy helicopter pilot. Listeners will be inspired by Karen's perseverance in overcoming doubters and breaking barriers to achieve her dreams. She also provides valuable insights on effective leadership, including empowering your team and maintaining a positive mindset. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in stories of determination and finding purpose in one’s career.
Ep. 56: Alternate Side Co-Founder Zack Zarrillo on Building Authentic Brands in Music
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Zack Zarrillo, the co-founder of Alternate Side, a full service music company that represents a diverse roster of platinum and gold talent with a combined catalog of over 5 Billion streams throughout alternative, rock, indie, electronic, and metal. Zack shares how he got into the music business, how he creates brands and businesses for his artists, the raging epidemic of mental health in music industry, how he got involved in the donut business, and why he tells his artists that nobody can care more about their music than they can.
Ep. 55: Volo Beauty Co-Founder Jonathan Friedman on Developing an Entrepreneurial Risk Profile
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with the Jonathan Friedman, Co-Founder and President of Volo Beauty, about his entrepreneurial journey. Jonathan shares insights into how he dealt with failure as an entrepreneur, how he learned to not take things personally, and how he developed a strong enough risk profile to take the entrepreneurial leap.
Ep. 54: William Toti on How He Made the Jump from Submarine Commander to CEO
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with former Navy Submarine Commander and Sparton CEO William Toti. William discusses what it’s really like to live on a submarine for months on end, the key leadership lessons he learned from the navy, solutions to help transitioning military members thrive, why companies need to hire more veterans, and so much more!
Ep. 53: Musician Wes Geer on Life as a Rock Star and Transforming Lives through Music
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with musician and founding member of the band Hed PE and Korn guitarist, Wes Geer. Wes shares his experience falling in love with music, his inspiring story about addiction and how he overcame it, the factors that led him to starting to Rock to Recovery, and how Rock to Recovery is helping people battling addiction and mental illness all around the world.
Ep. 52: Crossing Borders Co-Founder Dan Chung on the North Korean Refugee Crisis and What His Organization is Doing to Help
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Crossing Borders. Dan shares stories of hope from some of the North Korean women he has worked with over the last 20 years, the spark that led him to creating Crossing Borders, his personal definition of Greatness, and so much more!
Ep. 51: Supermojo CEO Amir Sarhangi On Why You Should Incorporate NFTs Within Your Business
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with the founder and CEO of Supermojo, Amir Sarhangi. Amir discusses his original spark for entrepreneurship, why conviction is the most important part of entrepreneurship, his decision to start another company after a successful exit, how he become interested in NFTs and so much more!
Ep. 50: Pray.com Co-Founder and CFO Mike Lynn On Why You Can’t Afford to Play It Safe
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Pray.com, Mike Lynn. Mike discusses how is mom being swindled out of money during his childhood led him to pursue wealth management, why he left a very successful career at Merrill Lynch to pursue entrepreneurship, why you can’t book smart your way into being an entrepreneur, and so much more.
Ep. 49: Singer & Songwriter Christian Gibbs on the Importance of Prioritizing Authenticity
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with singer songwriter Christian Gibbs. Christian discusses how he got into the music business, how he joined iconic 80s band Modern English, how he balances commercial pressure from record labels with his desire to create authentic music, how he uses music to help kids, and so much more.
Ep. 48: Mitchell Thorp Foundation Co-Founder Beth Thorp on Transforming Grief into Purpose
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Beth Thorp, co-founder and executive director of the Mitchell Thorp Foundation. Beth discuss how losing her son to a mysterious illness led her and her husband to starting the Mitchell Thorp Foundation, how they harnessed their grief and turned it into purpose, the positive impact their foundation has had on kids with life threatening illnesses, their families, and their communities and so much more!
Ep. 47: Black Mamba Foods CEO Claudia Castellanos on the Importance of Metrics and Accountability in Social Impact Companies
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Claudia Castellanos, founder and CEO of Black Mamba Foods. Claudia discusses how a decision to volunteer in Africa led her to find her life’s purpose, the importance of metrics and accountability for social impact businesses, how Black Mamba Food measures their impact, and how companies can expand their influence and make a difference.
Ep. 46: Quiverr Founder Ryan Mulvany on Turning a Side Hustle into a Scalable Company
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Ryan Mulvany, Founder and President of Quiverr. Ryan shares how he turned a side hustle into a scalable company that he eventually sold, the importance of trust in scaling critical business relationships, and how his willingness to lean into being different has helped him in both business and in life.
Ep. 45: Ziksana Consulting President Akshay Sateesh on the Importance of “Play” in the Workplace
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Akshay Sateesh, president of Ziksana Consulting. Akshay discusses how going to school in Malaysia with kids from over 100 different countries equipped him with values of curiosity and adaptability, how improv inspired a career change, and the importance of bringing "play" into the workplace.
Ep. 44: Author and Entrepreneur Mike Michalowitz on Eradicating Entrepreneurial Poverty
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with business author Mike Michalowitz. Mike discusses his entrepreneurial, how he went bankrupt after starting and selling multiple successful companies, how he found his calling of eradicating entrepreneurial poverty, and why psychological ownership is the key to getting the most out of your people.
Ep. 43: Sports Agent and Best Selling Author Leigh Steinberg on Why You Need to Practice Being More Present
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Leigh Steinberg, a premiere sports agent, author, and philanthropist. Leigh discusses the skillsets learned from negotiating with Ronald Reagan, his journey to becoming a successful sports agents, the importance of strong values, and why you should go to a planetarium if you need perspective.
Ep. 42: ServiceNow Impact, GM Aaron Fulkerson on The Power of Pathological Optimism and Strong Values
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Aaron Fulkerson, a technology entrepreneur, founder of MindTouch, and a General Manager for ServiceNow. Aaron talks about his untraditional path into technology, why he thinks you should run a company like a sports team instead of a family, why generalists are less likely to be displaced by technology, and so much more!
Ep. 41: Former Breg CEO Brad Lee on Why You Should Lean Into Your Fears
In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Brad Lee, former president and CEO of Breg. Brad discusses his interest in engineering from an early age, the “Aha” moment that led him on his journey to becoming a CEO, the most important lessons he learned from leaning into his fears, and so much more!